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Category: SMILF

Greetings TV viewers! After watching Showtime’s SMILF season 1 episode 8 season finale last night, I am left with a clutter of emotions ranging from sadness to heart-warming. While season one has come to a close, Bridgette explored what’s been locked away for so long, relying on the support and love of her family and friends around her. She demonstrates vulnerability and extreme courage simultaneously, making us adore her and root for her that much more. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Mark’s Lunch & Two Cups of Coffee,” Bridgette tries out a new job and a new hair-cut. Her lack of interest in finding a match on Tinder leads to an unexpected match with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, Rafi graduates from “sober living” and Tutu takes the big step of leaving the house to be there for her daughter when she needs it the most. My top 5 moments from the SMILF season 1 episode 8 season finale are:

5

Bridgette gets a job at Account Collect Management.

Bridgette seems to be taking a step in the right direction finding a suitable 9-5 job that can still allow her to be there for Larry. However, the world of account collect management is not as glamorous as one might guess. Bridgette desperately tries to get through her page of calls, but finds herself empathizing with the callers on the list. She tells one customer that “it sucks” and tells her not to worry about paying them right now. While it’s difficult for Bridgette to separate her personal feelings from her job responsibilities, she is ready to at least try, which says something. Bridgette gets an A for effort for now, but something greater is out there for her.

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Bridgette gets a new hair-cut.

Now that Bridgette has entered the work-force, she is ready for a change in her appearance as well. Her friend convinces her to get a “lob” like Khloe Kardashian, but Bridgette comically makes the mistake of calling it a “ball cut.” Tutu’s hair-dresser goes with it and assumes she means a “bowl cut” which is not so flattering on Bridgette. Either way, she is happy to make a change and owns her new look with confidence.

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Bridgette eats cupcakes in the bathroom.

As the pressure becomes a little bit too much to handle at her job, Bridgette takes a time out to find out what’s for lunch in the fridge. She begins sampling other people’s lunches that are not labeled, assuming they are there for everyone. A delightful box of cupcakes catches her eyes, as she grabs the entire box and hides out in the bathroom stall, away from the claustrophobic feel of the cubicles. Bridgette dives into the cupcakes, literally eating her feelings, when her boss comes to find her to see why she hasn’t gotten to her list of calls yet. Bridgette exits the stall in shame with chocolate caked all over her face and explains that she’s not feeling well, but promises to make the calls the next day. Lucky for Bridgette, her boss is willing to give her another chance, but her friend points out those cupcakes were for Molly’s birthday in shock. Perhaps she should give labeling a try as Bridgette suggested.

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Rafi graduates from “sober living.”

Rafi reveals that he has indeed “graduated” and is ready to move in with his girl-friend to the surprise of Bridgette. Bridgette shows concern, as she worries about Larry’s well-being when he stays with Rafi. Rafi assures her that he is alright and is ready to embrace the responsibilities of sober-life, but Bridgette is not so sure. While I am hoping that Rafi is better and recognize his accomplishment, we will have to see what next season holds for him.

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Bridgette matches with her father on Tinder.

Earlier in the episode, Bridgette absent-mindedly scrolls through unworthy candidates on Tinder repeating “no” over and over, even getting Larry to agree. However, she panics when she finds a man that looks very much like her father. It is revealed that Bridgette was abused when she was younger and hasn’t seen her father since she was a little girl, but she is convinced that it is him and even digs out some old photos for evidence. Tutu is concerned about Bridgette’s plan to “go on a date with her dad” to get him to admit what he did so she can find some sense of closure. After Bridgette tries on an array of outfits, she is ready to come face to face with her dad. Tutu and her friends stay at the restaurant to support her and Tutu gives her a letter that Bridgette wrote to her dad so many years ago. When Bridgette sits down at the table, she is trembling with uneasiness, but confidently reads the letter aloud, which is absolutely heart-breaking. The man cuts her off to say that she has made some kind of mistake and Tutu rushes over to let Bridgette know that the man across the table from her is not her father. They apologize to the man for the mistake and he does tell Bridgette that for what it’s worth, he would “murder her father” if he ever saw him. Bridgette was initially disappointed to not get the closure she was looking for, but has her friends and family there around her to support her, proving that she is loved and worth something. While Bridgette may never be truly ok from what happened to her in the past, she has the unconditional love of her family to pick her up when she falls down. Overall, the first season of SMILFgave viewers the chance to laugh, connect with characters on a deep level, and find meaning in life, re-defining the parameters of how to be the “perfect parent.”

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on SMILF below. Happy viewing!

Greetings TV viewers! After watching Showtime’s SMILF season 1 episode 7 last night, I am left with some thoughts on motherhood from actress Sophia Loren who once said that “when you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” Bridgette can absolutely use some of this advice, but part of what makes her so likable is that she is truly trying…one mistake at a time. But it doesn’t necessarily make her a bad mother. It just makes her human. She does tend to think for herself first out of habit, but Larry is still her number one priority. Part of Bridgette’s forgetfulness is not out of lack of love or devotion to her child, it’s just how she is as a person and she’s learning from it with each new day. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, Bridgette attempts to toilet train Larry and feels an overwhelming sense of boredom creep in, inspiring her to go to the movies. Meanwhile, Tutu faces an emotional breakdown of her own and tries to recover from her encounter with Edmund. My top 5 moments from SMILF season 1 episode 7 are:

5

“Fun….fun….fun.”

Bridgette goes to the playground with Larry and feels the repeated routine of pushing him on a swing take control. She absentmindedly says “fun, fun, fun” over and over with a look of extreme exhaustion and boredom on her face. She later complains that “I’m so bored I think I’m dying.” Bridgette is feeling pressure and is looking to escape even if just for an afternoon.

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Tutu has an interesting bench conversation with strangers.

After Tutu’s encounter with Edmund, she is left with a mixed bag of emotions, unsure how to deal with the baggage. She leaves her husband in the bathtub and mechanically walks out of the house, not really sure where she is going. When she ends up at the park, she finds herself waist-deep in the water, staring up at the sky contemplating life. Like Bridgette, Tutu feels a desperate need to escape her circumstances and looks for distractions along the way. She sits down next to a father and daughter on a bench and comments that “they burned witches at the stake not far from there” and then starts wondering out loud about what it feels like to be burned alive to their horror. Tutu then aimlessly wanders around the stores, trying on clothes and make-up and having harmless conversations with the employees, but once she leaves the store she is right back where she started with an aching sense of loneliness. When she buys a bunch of scratch offs, her husband climbs up the stairs in exhaustion to let her know they won a boat cruise. This snaps her back into reality and she is so thankful that he felt the need to do that for her, realizing that she does have someone in her life who truly cares for her.

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Bridgette attempts to toilet train Larry.

In the beginning of the episode, Bridgette is desperately trying to toilet train Larry and keeps commenting to herself that she has no idea what she is doing. She even tries to guilt him into doing it but his adorable “no” to everything she asks, brings a familiar sense of defeat Bridgette’s way. Later, Eliza assumes that the task cannot be that difficult and takes a shot at it, only to face the same results. When it seems like this might never happen, the girls are arguing near the tow-truck lot and Larry successfully sits on a toilet there to Bridgette and Eliza’s surprise. Perhaps Larry had been feeling the pressure before much like his mother, but is ready now for sure.

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Bridgette brings Larry to the movies during nap time.

Bridgette was super bummed that she could not go to the movies with Eliza when Tutu is unable to watch Larry. However, the boredom at the park was too much to bear. Bridgette realizes that since it is Larry’s nap time, there is no harm in bringing him along. The girls are watching a horror movie and keep commenting on the violent death scenes. A couple behind them begins to pass judgment explaining that it is no place for a child, but Bridgette dismisses them, assuring them that he is asleep. When Larry wakes up, she is disappointed she cannot see the next victim die. Later on the bus, Bridgette asks Larry if he saw the movie and of course he says “yes” innocently. She proceeds to ask him then if he has anxiety or depression because of the movie and he says “yes” to every question, reassuring Bridgette that he was not scarred for life by the movie. However, then she realizes that she hasn’t fed him breakfast or dinner yet. Luckily, a kind stranger on the bus provides her with a diaper and some cheerios.

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Bridgette asks for help.

Earlier in the episode when Bridgette is at the playground, a woman tells her in Spanish that it is OK to ask for help. These words truly resonated with Bridgette, when she agrees to a ride from a stranger with Eliza and Larry to retrieve her car. Bridgette tries to explain to Eliza the odds of parking in tow-away zones to no avail and then realizes she didn’t check the hours of the lot either. When Larry runs inside, Bridgette goes after him. They find the car and drive up to the gate, not knowing what to do next. A Spanish woman and her daughter approach her and Bridgette tells her that she has a beautiful daughter and then asks her for help. The woman is fearful that her boss might find out she brought her daughter, so she is more than willing to help Bridgette out. She pulls open the gate, as Eliza and Bridgette look at each other in disbelief, realizing they could have done the very same thing. Either way, this moment is important for Bridgette as she now understands that she can’t always be a perfect mother. She is going to make mistakes but her love for Larry and the support from the people around her will keep her in check.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on SMILF below. Happy viewing!

Greetings TV viewers! After watching Showtime’s SMILF season 1 episode 6 last night, I am left with the spot-on advice from Dr. Seuss who said that “you know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” For Bridgette, Tutu, Ally, and Rafi, it initially seems like their dreams are something to cling to, giving them a glimmer of hope that they aren’t trapped in their routine lives forever. However, their dreams don’t exactly pan out the way they thought they would. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope or meaning in their lives. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, Bridgette is psyched to receive an invitation letter to try out for the WNBA, her golden ticket to something she has always dreamed about. Meanwhile, Tutu hunts down her former lover on Yelp and Rafi attempts to help his mother out while dealing with his own inner demons. My top 5 moments from SMILF season 1 episode 6 are:

5

Larry says “bye bye” to the IRS.

In the beginning of the episode, Bridgette is going through a sea of bills and cringes at one from the IRS. Larry innocently says “bye bye” and throws it off the table, causing Bridgette and viewers everywhere to smile as a result. Bridgette is surrounded by never-ending bills, but is ecstatic when she receives an invitation letter to try out for the WNBA. It seems like there is a glimmer of hope for Bridgette after all, allowing her to dive head-first into her hopes and dreams.

4

Ally has a 911.

As Bridgette is trying to prepare for her basketball tryouts, she is dealing with distractions left and right. Ally begins texting her frantically, saying “911” and it’s “URGENT.” Bridgette swings over there, hoping for something quick and easy, but discovers that Ally is covered head to toe in a cast as she has just went through every plastic surgery she possibly could at once. Ally looks ridiculous, unable to even put a straw in her own mouth, but Bridgette has to put this on hold to go pursue her own dreams. When Bridgette tells Ally that she was beautiful already, Ally points to the picture on her nightstand, explaining to Bridgette her own dream to look that young and beautiful again at a time when she was truly happy and in love.

3

Rafi has a moment of weakness.

Rafi is initially feeling happy and at peace. He has been successfully sober for a while now and starts discussing all of the good things going on in his life with his priest sponsor, including putting together Ikea furniture with his girlfriend. However, the priest warns him that every day is not going to be a perfect one and he has to cope with what will happen when he doesn’t feel this great. As if he was foreshadowing what the day held for Rafi, he gets a call from his mother and goes to help her move some stuff and feed the dogs. Rafi can’t handle the stress and begins taking his dog’s medication to numb the pain. He goes to see his priest sponsor, who kisses him unexpectedly, leaving Rafi to flee, just needing to escape it all. In a moment of weakness, he falls back into old habits, unable to deal with the chaos surrounding him. We sympathize with what Rafi is going through and hope that he can put it behind him to start fresh and embrace the reality that not everything will work out perfectly. Rather, he needs to focus on the supporting people in his life who will help him get there.

2

Tutu tracks down her lost love.

Tutu finds her past love on Yelp and decides to go and surprise him, posing as one of his patients at the dentist’s office. While they do have a fleeting moment together, Tutu is horrified to see that he has had his tattoo removed, which is the other half of her heart, snapping her back into reality that their love maybe wasn’t this everlasting and epic story, but that perhaps they just outgrew each other. They swap stories about their lives and families, and Tutu realizes that she is lucky to have Bridgette and Larry in her life, even though it turned out differently than she expected it to.

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Bridgette tries out for the WNBA.

Bridgette is clearly nervous to try out for the WNBA, as it’s been about 10 years since she has played competitively. However, this doesn’t stop her from trying out for her dream. Although Bridgette is enthused and passionate, she is clearly outmatched. Bridgette doesn’t want to lose any momentum, but reality starts to sink in when she asks if everyone she is playing against can dunk. When one of the coaches says he has seen all he needs to for today and she can leave, Bridgette is begging for another chance. While her dreams of playing for the WNBA are put on hold at least for today, Bridgette confides in Tutu and is reminded that Larry is her purpose in life. Bridgette desperately wants something for herself, but comes to realize that being a mother is something truly special even if it doesn’t always seem like it.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on SMILF below. Also, congrats to the show on its Golden Globe nominations! Happy viewing!

Greetings TV Fans! Lately, I have been binge-watching Showtime’s SMILF and I have to say that I am absolutely obsessed. The critics say it is “raw and funny” and they are absolutely right. The main character, Bridgette, has just the right blend of Weeds’ Nancy Botwin and Orange is the New Black’s Piper Chapman’s personality along with her own set of quirkiness. She is learning how to be a single mother with each new day and challenge, while still trying to chase her dreams in the process. If you have not gotten a chance to check this show out, I highly recommend it. After watching SMILF season 1 episode 5, I have my own desire to play the day out in different parts. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In episode 5, the show opens up with “Part 1” revealing that it is father’s day. The day plays out differently each time with 4 different parts throughout the episode. Each part starts off with Larry’s father knocking on the door displaying his #1 Dad apparel, to be interrupted by Larry not being able to find his beloved panda stuffed animal. The distractions get more and more extreme, involving different characters, leading up to part 4, which is actually heart-warming and truly perfect. My top 5 moments from SMILF season 1 episode 5 are:

5

Bridgette beats up the fire alarm. In part one, Bridgette has a premonition type flash of where the panda could be, revealing that she left it over at Ally’s house. She runs over there to enter a sea of chaos and distraction, as the family is trying to prepare everything for father’s day. When the fire alarm goes off, Bridgette is determined to lend some assistance, as she proceeds to punch it repeatedly to be quiet. While I’m not sure we should try this method at home, it is clear that she is channeling her own frustration over finding panda. But she is not about to give up just yet.

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Bridgette decides to do shrooms which “could make her a better parent.” In Part two of the episode, Bridgette has a similar premonition flash that panda was left behind in Eliza’s room. While she searches frantically, the two decide that doing shrooms is the best solution to remedy the situation. Bridgette is convinced that this will absolutely help her clear her mind to find panda, only it leads to some very confusing hallucinations along the way, including Larry speaking to her in a grown man’s voice and Eliza suffocating in her excess sea of clothing.

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Bridgette gets propositioned for a “sleep over.” In part one after she beats up the incessant fire alarm, Bridgette is listening to Ally go on and on about “Mr. Daddy” and what to do for him for father’s day. While it is initially revealed as background chatter, Bridgette’s attention is woken up suddenly when she is asked if she would like to have a sleep over. Bridgette’s confusion about what this actually means leading up to a scenario where she would get pregnant again and what the trust fund would look like make this moment even more hilarious. Unfortunately, this does not lead to the discovery of panda.

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The panda is Larry’s “constant.” Bridgette’s desperate need to find panda for Larry demonstrates how much she truly cares for his son. She mirrors his own frantic cries, throwing everything around in a frenzy to try and locate Larry’s beloved panda. At one point, she is speaking to her mom on the phone and screams out that she needs to find panda “or Larry is going to die!” While Bridgette has been hanging on by a thread to make ends meet, her unconditional love for Larry never fails which makes her search for panda empathetic. Larry deals with a lot of moving around; going from his mother’s house to his father’s and even to his grandma’s and the panda is the only thing that stays the same. Bridgette is clearly also holding on to this constant for Larry, wanting to be able to provide him with stability and continuous love.

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Panda is found along with Bridgette embracing father’s day. Part 4 starts off the same way, with Larry’s father, Rafi at the door. Rather than slamming the door in his face, Bridgette and Larry leave with Rafi to go celebrate the day at Tutu’s house, Bridgette’s mother. Panda is discovered at the house and all is right with the world again. This leaves us with a true family moment. Even though everyone has their differences, they come together because Larry is the constant, creating an undeniable bond of happiness. Plus, it helps that panda is there keep the peace.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on SMILF below. Happy viewing!

Happy Tuesday TV Fans! As we approach the holidays, you may be preoccupied with your never-ending to do list, shopping, cooking, and spending some quality time at home with your family. There is also that troublesome fear setting in that your favorite shows will be taking a break from new episodes and you will be left with a void of reruns and holiday specials. So what’s a TV viewer to do? Fear not, for there are plenty of binge-watching worthy shows to choose from when you may need a break from all of the holiday chaos surrounding you. My top 5 binge-watching worthy shows to choose from for the end of 2017 are:

5) Fox’s The Mick. I have been watching The Mick for two seasons now mostly because it stars the wonderfully funny Kaitlin Olson from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Since the show is on Fox, the humor is not as crude and extreme, but it is just as funny. Olson pretty much plays a similar version of Dee from It’s Always Sunny, which is hilarious enough, but supporting characters like Alba and Jimmy steal the show. They are laugh out loud funny. There are a lot of sitcom-like shows that don’t make me laugh out loud and I find this is hard to come by now. Here and there I’ll chuckle, but it’s not the same as with Friends and Seinfeld from years ago. The Mick has the perfect balance of value, or maybe lack of family values is more accurate similar to Shameless, with over-the-top hilarious moments. I absolutely recommend that you binge-watch this show and check out the Halloween episode from a few weeks ago which is one of my personal favorites.

4) Netflix’s Slasher. So one of my favorite series of scary movies of all time is Scream and I was somewhat disappointed in MTV’s version of the show they produced. Don’t get me wrong, I did watch and see it through, but there was something lacking for me. The characters weren’t believable and there wasn’t that underlying fear gnawing at me. Netflix got it right with two seasons of Slasher. Each season is different, very similar to American Horror Story with familiar actors but a different premise, plot, and murderer. There were moments I had to close my eyes because I was so scared in the first season and the main character is someone you desperately want to root for. Having characters present that you actually want to see make it out alive does carry weight. The second season has more of an Agatha Christie like vibe mixed with the movie, Heathers which I found to be very addicting once I got past the first few episodes filled with back story and flashbacks. No one is safe and it provides some edge of your seat moments as a result.

3) Netflix’s The Punisher. I am a big fan of Marvel in general and The Punisher is one of my favorite heroes or maybe anti-heroes of all time. Usually when I say this, fans question this and say why not Wolverine or Captain America? The Punisher is so powerful to me because he has no super powers and his quest for revenge is sympathetic and tragic. When Netflix’s Daredevil season 2 came out, the best part of it was the introduction of The Punisher. I was ecstatic when I heard that the character would be getting his own series. I am happy to say that I successfully binge-watched this show over the weekend and it is everything I could have hoped for. Jon Bernthal is so believable as Frank Castle that you would think the comic series was based off of him. He is someone to root for and although the violence may be extreme, the enemies get what is coming to them. I also found myself investing time and energy into the supporting cast as well which is rare for me. The villains are also so intense and heart-breaking, as Frank Castle finds himself being betrayed left and right while he is trying to make amends and bring those who deserve it to justice.

2) Showtime’s SMILF. There are only a few episodes that have come out so far so you have plenty of time to catch up and binge-watch this hilarious new show starring and created by the brilliant and lovable Frankie Shaw. The show has you laughing, crying, and cheering for single mother, Bridgette who is trying to find her way and pursue her dreams while maintaining a strong bond with her son. Bridgette is far from the perfect mother for sure, but she truly loves her son and is doing the best she can. You find yourself truly invested in Bridgette and root for her through every moment no matter how ridiculous some of them are.

1) Netflix’s Stranger Things season 2. This show and season is absolutely worth a binge-watch and perhaps a second or third time through. That’s how good it is. The music alone sparked new life into this season, the characters and friendships were bonded further, and the quest to find out where one comes from and what “home” truly means is touching and beautiful. Once again, this season blended the perfect amount of comedy with sci-fi mystery. New friends and characters are introduced and the adventures don’t stop. I don’t want to give away too much in case you haven’t gotten a chance to watch yet, but remember “friends don’t lie.” So please watch and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your thoughts and comments below. Happy viewing!